Multilingualism in Europe: A Far-Fetched and Far-Flung Dream

Authors

  • Aysar Yaseen

Abstract

What is it that unite people? We are united when we understand each other. We are united when we are able to communicate since communication denotes the ability to make the other able to understand our feelings and wants. It is not the economy neither it is an army that unite us. It is language. Through language, one can understand and be understood. Europeans should apply the American paradigm in order to be strong and effective in the international community and use a single language as the lingua franca. With regard to national languages, the European Union should encourage, and finance the learning of as many languages as possible by its citizens to consolidate the sense of identity. However, the slogan "Unity through Diversity", raised by linguists promoting multilingualism in Europe these days, is misleading and unattainable.

Keywords: multilingualism, nationalism, culture, identity, globalism, pluralism, lingua franca, unity.

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Published

2016-01-03

How to Cite

Yaseen, A. (2016). Multilingualism in Europe: A Far-Fetched and Far-Flung Dream. ANGLISTICUM. Journal of the Association-Institute for English Language and American Studies, 3(4), 83–86. Retrieved from https://anglisticum.org.mk/index.php/IJLLIS/article/view/615

Issue

Section

Volume 3, No.4, April, 2014